Forevergreen
by HazyEpiphany
Summary: Instead of turning Gale down, Katniss flees with him on the day of the reaping. Will they get away? What will they do? Katniss x Gale, T for mild language.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've never read Hunger Games fics but this story idea popped in my head and I had to write it. So I have no idea if this is an original story or if this is an original title or not. I also tried a new writing style: Katniss's POV style. Thanks to my new Beta, Pokemon Ranger Nyla!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunger Games.

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><p>I wake with a scream, panting heavily. Another nightmare. The same nightmare. Always the same nightmare. I can't take it, so I roll out of bed and pull on my trousers, light brown canvas pants perfect for hunting. I slide into my hunting boots. My toes wriggle into the well-loved and well-worn leather that fits my feet perfectly. I squirm into a shirt and tuck my braid under a cap.<p>

I look across the room. Prim is curled up in my mother's bed. She must have had bad dreams too and climbed in with our mother. Her lovely face contorts into a grimace of fear. For today is the day of the reaping. I smile sadly and grab my hunting bag. I'm almost out the door when I hear the light pattering of feet running down the hallway. Prim hugs me briefly. "Don't be out too long, Katniss. I have the most beautiful dress for you!" She hands me a piece of fresh goat cheese which I slip into my pouch. I turn to go. "Wait!" Prim's voice, now excited, stops my in my tracks. I want you to wear this. She pins her brass mockingjay pin to my breast. I got it at the Hob, the black market, from Greasy Sae for a squirrel. Prim had been eyeing it, so I bought it secretly to give it to her on her birthday.

"Thanks," I bend down to look in her eyes. Prim is twelve. It's her first reaping. I hook two fingers under her chin and kiss her tenderly on her forehead. I notice her blouse has pulled out of her skirt in the back again. "Tuck your tail in, little duck." I smooth the blouse back down.

"Quack. Quack," she giggles cheerfully.

I return the smile halfheartedly. The dream still bothers me; I can't get it out of my mind. I slip out the door with a wave and a wink. Usually at this hour, our part of District 12, nicknamed the Seam, is bustling with coal miners heading out for the morning shift. But today, the streets are empty. The curtains are closed. Nobody is out. The reaping isn't until two o'clock; you might as well sleep in… If you can.

Our house is near the edge of the Seam, so I only have to slink past a few gates to get the Meadow. When I picture a meadow, I think of a lush, open pasture blossoming with life. Not this scruffy field overgrown with weeds. Enclosing District 12 is a high chain-link fence topped with barbed-wire coils. Once I get past the Meadow, I'll be in the forest which isn't part of District 12. I'll be free… For a few hours. The fence is supposed to be electrified 24-7 to keep predators out… and us in. But since we only get a few hours of electricity in the evenings, it's almost certainly safe to touch. Nonetheless, I'm always careful to listen for the hum of a live fence. Now, like always, it's dead silent. Looking around discretely, I drop down to the ground by a hedge of bushes. I flatten out and slide under a loose wire that hasn't been tightened for years. It's no trouble. The wire sags lower than the stomach of a woman who's just given birth.

When I'm in the trees, I retrieve my bow and a sheath of arrows from a hollow log. There may be a shortage of meat inside District 12, but it's plentiful out here in the forest. If you know how to find it that is. My father knew how and taught me before he died in a mine explosion. There wasn't even a piece left of him to bury. It's been years and years, but his death, among others, plagues my dreams.

It's good for business, not having any meat inside the fence. Supply and demand or something like that. The Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to those who hunt because they long for fresh meat as much as anybody–In fact, they're some of our best customers. Few hunt, though, because few are brave enough to venture into the woods with only a knife. My bow is a beauty. A rarity crafted lovingly by my father. And those few who hunt in the forest always stay in sight of the Meadow, making sure to stay in sight of the Meadow. Close enough to flee back to safety. District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety.

I can feel every one of my muscles relaxing, my steps quicken as I climb the hills. The sight of him waiting there for me brings a smile to my face. Gale says I never smile in the woods. That's not true, is it?

"Morning, Catnip," Gale grins at me. It's a long story how I got that nickname. "Look what I shot!" Gale holds up an arrow with a loaf of bread speared on it. It's real bakery bread, not homemade grain ration bread. Fine bread like this costs so much it's almost not worth it.

I seize the loaf and feel it. The crust crackles in my hands. The fragrant smell makes me salivate. "Mm, still warm," I say. "How much was it?"

Gale laughs, an infectious, hearty boom that makes me smile even wider. "Just a squirrel. I think Old Man Mellark was feeling a little sentimental this morning."

I smile wryly. "Don't we all?" I add hastily, "Today at least."

He smirks. "Even now, the Capitol manages to rain on our parade."

"Oh!" I remember something. "Prim gave us a cheese." I reach in my pouch to pull it out.

His face lights up. "We'll have a real feast, thanks to Prim!" He falls into a Capitol accent, mimicking Effie Trinket, the insanely upbeat lady who comes once a year to read off the names at the reaping. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds–"

"–be _ever_ in your favor!" I finish with a giggle. We joke about it because the only other option is to be scared shitless, and we would never give the Capitol _that_ pleasure. Besides. The Capitol accent sounds so peculiar that almost anything sounds hilarious in it.

Gale pulls out his knife and slices the bread. I hand him the cheese and he spreads it on just as deftly. We settle nook in the rocks after gathering a few handfuls of blackberries. This is our safe place. This is where we feel free. Where the constraints of slavery don't apply. The only thing ruining this is the fact that today is the reaping. In just a few hours, we'll be standing in the square. Hoping and praying that no one we love will have to die.

"We could do it, you know," Gale says quietly, playing with a blade of grass.

I look at him. "What?"

"Leave the district. Run off. Live off the land. You and I, we could make it. If we don't bring any others."

I don't know how to respond. The idea is so ridiculous… yet, so appealing. I say nothing, and stare off into space. After a brief but awkward silence, I finally say, "I had a dream last night…"

"Me too. What was yours?" Gale seizes on my words like a drowning man holds to a piece of wood.

"Tell me yours first."

Gale rolls his eyes. "I dreamt that a massive mockingjay swooped into the Capitol and razed it to the ground. It's the first good dream I've ever had on a reaping day. What was yours?"

My resolve wavers. "I don't think I want to tell you anymore. It's stupid."

Gale smiles encouragingly at me. "Dreams are stupid. They're nothing more than little thoughts flying through our heads."

I squeeze my eyes shut. "I dreamed… That you were drawn for the reaping." The words, which start slowly, tumble out of my mouth like rocks in a cement mixer.

"Well… That's not _that _stupid." Gale smirks. "I have forty-two entries. The odds aren't in my favor."

"Maybe we _should_ go." I begin to feel increasingly agitated. "I have a bad feeling about this. I don't want to lose a good hunting partner." I try to smile playfully. By Gale's expression, it doesn't work.

He starts to argue then thinks better of it and grimaces. "So you agree with me after all!"

"Yeah…" I say quietly.

"You know we can't bring anybody?" He looks at me questioningly. "We can't even go back to get any supplies. And once we've left, there's no going back."

"I know that!" It's hard to keep the irritation out of my voice. "We should leave. Your siblings can't be entered in the reaping yet, and Prim only has one ticket. We can set up a place and come back in a year or two to get them."

"If you say so…" Gale obviously doesn't believe we can come back, and neither do I. He tries to stay upbeat. "But if we can't…"

"I know." I interrupt. "I can only hope that we're doing the right thing. Even so, my emotions might be clouding my judgement…"

He nods, crestfallen.

"…but I want to go anyway." I finish. At this, Gale looks up at me with wide, surprised eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." I nod determinedly.

He stands abruptly. "We need to go now then. No going back to pick something up. We need all the time we can get."

I nod and sling my bow across my back. "The timing couldn't be better. All the Peacekeepers will be at the square, and even if they _do_ notice us missing, they'll assume we're out hunting and plan on punishing us when we get back."

"And if we're especially lucky, they'll be feeling sadistic and greedy." Gale is gathering his equipment. "And they'll wait and wait, anticipating our return. They'll know that the longer we're out, the more we'll have to bribe them."

I laugh and flick back my hair. "They'll wait for days and when they finally realize that we've given the slip…"

"…and they won't be able to call the Capitol for reinforcements because they know they'll get in trouble for not going after us immediately! So they'll have to find us on their own!"

I feel giddy laughter building up inside me. "Their equipment is terrible. If we leave now, we could make it!"

He suddenly sobers. "If we do this right, we won't end up like… them."

I know who he's talking about. We had been hunting in the woods one day. Hidden, in wait for game. Then we saw them. A girl and a boy with tattered clothing and red-rimmed sleepless eyes. They were running for their lives. Out of nowhere, a hovercraft appeared. A net dropped down on the girl and lifted her up as fast as a Tribute train moves. A harpoon was fired through the boy. They hauled him up too, but I doubt he lived. I have no idea what happened to them then, but I hope for their sakes they were killed. There are some things worse than death. Especially for a captured runaway taken to the Capitol.

"You know," he looks deep into my eyes, "We couldn't take anyone with us. If you're serious about this, we need to go now.

"I know."

"Where would we go?"

I think for a moment. The Capitol's to the west. Eleven's below, and Three's above. The ocean isn't too far east. I want to get as far away from the Capitol as I can. As far from District 12 as I can. As far from civilization as I can. The districts are all spread out, but the land is occasionally patrolled. There's only one place that the Capitol would never go. No one lives there. It's vast, and woody. The perfect place. A place where the Capitol would never expect us to go. The toxic bombs that destroyed District 13 deter any would-be runaways from settling down there.

"District 13. We should go there," I finally decide.

Gale's face shows comical bewilderment. "District 13?" He looks at me incredulously. "Are you out of your mind? Its ruins still smolder from the toxic bombs! The land is unlivable!"

I smirk. "Who said anything about the _land_?"

My smirk grows wider when understanding dawns on his face. "Katniss, you're a genius!" His smile is wider than the sun. "District 13 was graphite! There must be a lot of caves to hide in!"

"Yeah, and the toxic bombs only affected the village itself. The surrounding forest should be huntable," I say.

"So Northeast?" He examines the sky, looking at the sun.

"Yeah."

He begins walking down the hill. "Shall we?" He extends an arm, mocking the stuck up eccentrics in the capital. I loop my arm in his and we stroll jauntily down the steep slope.

At the bottom, we break in a sprint to the nearest river. Its currents are strong but not dangerously so. We'll swim upriver for a few miles to throw the dogs–and the Peacekeepers–off. As always, we do the unexpected.

It's hard to swim. Especially upriver. Though my body is lean and strong from years of hunting, I'm terribly sore when I drag myself out of the river hours later. "This should be far enough," Gale says, wringing out his shirt. I agree. If I ever have to swim again, it will be too soon.

We rest for a short time. Only a few minutes. Then, we roll in dung to disguise our scent and head into the forest. I pray that this is enough. I don't want to disappear into the belly of a hovercraft to be executed in the Capitol. I spot something. Gale crashes up behind me and stops abruptly when I hush him and put a finger to my lips. Slowly, silently, I pull my bow off my back and nock an arrow. I release, and the arrow flies true. A wild turkey falls with an arrow through its eye. Our first kill. We fall upon our prey and quickly skin and cut it down. I place the majority of the meat in my bag but keep a portion for myself and Gale to eat on the run.

Morning turns to evening, then to afternoon, and then to night. Still, we run. We run and run for three days straight and stop only when we're near the brink of exhaustion. When we finally wake up, it's dusk. We've slept nearly half a day. Immediately, we begin running. We split up at points, making elaborate fox trails to throw off our trackers. We roll in some more scat and do everything we can to get them off our back. It's no use.

On the sixth day, we hear the roar of landspeeders. It's faint but audible. They're still several miles away. This, I suppose, is a good thing. It means no hovercraft will appear out of nowhere and capture us. We break into an all-out sprint, pushing ourselves harder than we've ever run. The engines grow louder. They're almost on us. I look over my shoulder. Almost two dozen Peacekeepers in full armor are bearing down on us. Their guns are still strapped to their hips; it's kind of difficult to fly at a hundred miles per hour through dense foliage while shooting a gun. That's one advantage for us. They can't hurt us while they chase us. Another advantage is the fact that they don't want the Capitol to know we even got this far. Or how we got this far for that matter. It means they won't have reinforcements or hovercraft or Capitol backing in general. Twisting mid run, I lift my bow, aim at a flanking speeder, and release. The speeder jerks suddenly to the side, its driver having fallen off, and veers into a neighbor. Two down, twenty-two to go.

"Stop!" The leading Peacekeeper bellows, leaning further into his speeder to gain speed. "Stop and we might let you live!"

I don't respond, too short for breath. But I wish I could turn and ask him what kind of life would _that _be? Gale shoots down another, and I do the same. We're down to twenty pursuers. But now they're finally on us. Two stop in front of us, cutting off our escape. We're surrounded. They dismount, carrying their assault rifles. It's no contest. Everyone here knows who will win.

I snarl and stab at one with an arrow. He doesn't even react, just crumpling bonelessly to the ground. Another retaliates, knocking me upside the head with the butt of his rifles. They stand in a line behind us, forcing our hands high in the air. I almost consider fighting back. It would be better to die free than to live in slavery. But my survival instincts kick in and I do nothing.

They've handcuffed Gale and are about to do the same to me when gunfire erupts from the treeline. Three Peacekeepers fall, and the rest abandon me to fire back blindly into the forest. I pick up my bow which is still on the ground where they forced me to drop it. The fire has stopped on both sides but then starts up again. From the amount of shooting on both sides, I can guess that the Peacekeepers still outnumber our rescuers. The gunfire starts up again, and taking advantage of the distraction, I nock an arrow and pull back the string as far as I can. Grunting from the exertion, I breathe out as I watch the arrow sail through the heads of two of rearmost guards like a hot knife through butter. The Peacekeepers don't even notice their comrades fall. I grin and congratulate myself on the silent double kill. The guerilla attackers have cut the Peacekeepers' numbers in half. I quickly continue shooting them from behind until the combined efforts of our rescuers and myself have wiped out their force.

A small squad of men and women step out from the trees. They wear uniform gray clothing and carry assorted firearms ranging from a simple handgun to a deadly machine gun. I grin ever so slightly and walk towards them to thank them.

"Halt!" An imposing black man levels his rifle at me. "Drop your weapon and put your hands in the air!" I comply reluctantly.

"Aw seriously?" Gale complains loudly, "It's just our luck that we get to be arrested _twice_!" I hide a smirk. Gale's got some nerve talking to them like that. "I mean really!" Gale continues, waving his bound hands around in the air, "Didn't you see Katniss take out like ten Peacekeepers? Come on!"

"Quiet!" The man barks commandingly. "You lead the Capitol to our front porch! We don't take to that too kindly."

I protest, "Sir, the Capitol doesn't even know anyone's here."

"Explain."

"We're from District 12. We left on reaping day because we knew the Peacekeepers would be occupied. We knew they wouldn't go after us for at least a few days because they know we hunt for them. We knew that when they finally realized that we'd fled, they would be too scared to call for help because the Capitol would find out that they basically let us go."

The man nods. "I can accept that… But you're still being taken in custody. I trust you'll come peacefully?"

I dip my head in agreement.

o0o0o0o

They lead us through the forest for hours and Gale tries to strike up a conversation. At first, they give us only stony silence, but eventually, they warm up, and soon after, I'm recounting the time I was chased by a bear to uproarious laughter. Then, Gale asks the question I've been dying to know. "Who are you?"

The black man, who, I have found out, is named Boggs, only shakes his head. "You'll find out when we get there."

Gale scowls at the man. I can see how he would bother him. Boggs's extreme discipline and stiff posture seems very military. Granted, the others seem to be military as well, but not on the level of Boggs. He must remind Gale of the Peacekeepers.

o0o0o0o

When we finally get to their outpost, it's dark. But I can still make out the silhouettes and the deep shadows cast by the ruined buildings. Boggs, who was walking before us, talking quietly into a hand radio, makes a hand signal. We make a quick turn and walk into a half-collapsed building. We step over rubble and descend a long spiral staircase. I look at Boggs incredulously. "We're in District 13? Wasn't it bombed by radiation bombs?"

I could swear Boggs gave me a smile. As quick as it appears, it's gone.. "We're not in District 13. We _are _District 13. And we live below District 13."

"How did you survive? Surely the Capitol must know you exist!"

Now he chuckles. "Oh, they know we exist. And they also know we have nuclear weapons trained on them. M.A.D. Mutual Assured Destruction. They can't afford to attack us, so they leave us be."

I gape. "How did you get nuclear weapons?"

"District 13 was known for its graphite mining. But that's just a cover-up. It's true that we mine graphite, but most of it's used in the nuclear reactors. We used to be the Capitol's military and nuclear weapons industry. When Panem rebelled, the Capitol was about to bomb all the Districts. We stopped them by threatening them with our nuclear weapons. Then we wrote up a non-aggression pact. We moved underground and allowed the Capitol to bomb our district to the ground as an 'example' to the others. They allow us to be independent and safe from their attacks so long as we pretend to be destroyed and refrain from attacking them." Boggs gives me a satisfied smile.

I grow angry. It's not fair. While the other districts live under the tyranny of the Capitol, this district is free. Yet it doesn't help us or destroy the Capitol. I voice my opinion and am chagrined when he laughs in my face.

"Mutual Assured Destruction. I'm sure you've heard of it." He looks at me questioningly.

I nod. "It means if you launch your bombs at them, they'll launch their bombs at you, and both will be wiped out."

He motions with his hands, "Go on."

"And even if you survived by relocating before you fire, you can't take out all of the Capitol's supporters. You can't bomb all the other districts just to kill them." Realization dawns on me. "And not only would it be pointlessly killing us, you would be eradicated as well."

Boggs's wide smile shows white teeth. "Bingo! Not as stupid as I thought, then!"

I sigh. "But are you ever planning on taking on the Capitol?"

He responds, "Sorry, that's classified information." But he gives me a wink and a little grin.

o0o0o0o

It's been three weeks and we're still stuck in our cells. Officially, we're not under arrest, but they just want to keep tabs on us before they accept us into District 13. They question us every once in awhile but they don't interrogate us. In fact, they seem genuinely interested in what's been going on. Often times, they're outraged at how we've been abused and starved. Other times, they're indifferent, almost as if they've lived through it before.

Boggs regularly visits us. He tells us that the President's busy and that she should see us soon. Ha. I'm starting to doubt him. We're free to roam the compound but there's not much to do. I can train but can't hunt. I can eat but only with Gale. I'm starting to go crazy looking at blank, gray walls and blank, gray people. It takes me a week to notice it, but I soon realize the cause for the lack of laughter. There is nobody under the age of fifteen. There's no children whatsoever.

I ask Boggs when he next comes and he tells me that a pox swept through the compound, sterilizing everybody. No more children can be born. That's why they're so desperate for newcomers. If they don't get anyone soon, this will be the last generation that lives here. I laugh at the irony. For people who are desperate for a new addition to the gene pool, they sure don't show it.

o0o0o0o

I'm about to pull out all my hair when they finally come to get me. I fix a glare at Boggs. "About time!" He just laughs and begins walking to the commons, the main air shaft to which almost every hallway leads to at one point. We take an elevator up to a level I've never been on before. "Where are we going?" I ask.

"To see the President." Boggs presses a button and a door slides open. I walk in, not knowing what's going to happen.

President Coin, a middle-aged woman with long, graying hair, is the epitome of a wise but iron-fisted leader. She motions for me to sit. Boggs stands outside, guarding the doorway. "Boggs tells me of your fighting prowess." Her voice is quiet but commanding.

"Thank you," I blush, "but I'm no fighter. The only time I've fought was earlier this month."

This seems to raise her opinion of me even farther. "So," she looks me up and down appraisingly, "A natural, eh?"

I shrug helplessly. "I like to hunt."

She smiles. "I've decided to take you in."

"Oh, thank you!' I feel a weight that I never even knew I had lift off my chest.

"You and your partner may stay. I only ask that you join our armed forces. Participating in our military is mandatory for all citizens." She waves her hands magnanimously.

At this, I grow uneasy. "With all due respect, I'm not sure I'm up for fighting. All I want to do is live free and hunt. I want to get my sister back."

"And what might your name be?" She asks, but her expression of warmth has faded.

"Katniss Everdeen."

She looks up at me, startled. "From District 12, am I correct?"

I nod once.

"You look nothing like your sister."

"What?" I feel confused. "How do you know her?"

She chuckles. "I think the proper question would be who _doesn't_ know her?" She waves a hand and the screen behind her lights up. On it, the she stands in a chariot, hand in hand with Peeta the breadboy. She looks radiant and yet withdrawn. She wears beautiful clothes, flickering with synthetic fire.

Now I know what I must do. "President, I'm sorry, but I must decline your offer. I have to go and get her."

She looks at me amusedly. "And how would you do that? You would have to run for thousands of miles to get to the Capitol. Then, you would have to get her out of the arena. The Games have already started, you know. She'll be dead before you even get halfway there."

I stand up abruptly. "With all due respect, I'm going." I begin to walk for the door but am stopped by Coin's shout.

"Wait!" She holds up a hand from the table and I turn.

"What?" I try to suppress a feeling of annoyance.

"Your sister's already dead."

I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. My sister? Dead? "H-how did she die?" I stammer.

"How do you think?" She asks rhetorically.

"No. Who killed her?"

I can see the look on her face and realize I've played right into her hands but I don't care. She looks me straight in the eye and answers, "The Capitol." She goes on, "Oh, they may not have killed her directly, but what they do brought along her death."

My knees weaken and I sit down once again. "And who was the victor?"

"Your friend, Peeta Mellark."

Peeta? My mind reels. How? A tear trails down my face and sits, quivering on my chin.

She adds, "If it's any consolation, he took care of her. She was as much his little sister as she was yours. When she was murdered, he avenged her and sang to ease her passing. The people love him for that."

I am filled with anger at the injustice of it all. I want to hurt something. To break it. I want all of these things. And I want revenge most of all. The Capitol must pay for what they've done. No more pain. I've lived a lifetime of it. I've lived through the abuse of this corrupt system. I've endured the loss of friends, family, fellow humans because of this evil. I finger my mockingjay pin, the last thing Prim gave me and clench it in a fist. I've made my decision. "I'll fight for you."

Coin's eyes glow in satisfaction at my words, but her face shows pain and empathy. "I've also lost to the Capitol. That's why I want to destroy them at all costs."

Her words send a chill up my spine. I get the feeling that she really would destroy them no matter what she had to give up.

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><p>AN: Please R&R! Constructive criticism is always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the delay! I've been having finals!

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><p>I'm assigned to Boggs's squad. Squad 451 A.K.A. Star Squad. With all the boring uniformity of District 13, I'm pleasantly surprised that the squads at least have some individuality. To be honest, I hadn't expected it to have a nickname at all. My gray military jumpsuit is stiff but not difficult to move in, and its weight anchors me comfortably. My squadmates don't bother telling me their names. Their faces are all cold and stony. Robotic. Drone-like. I shiver. There's no hint of friendliness in their faces, not even in Boggs's.<p>

"Private Everdeen." Boggs addresses me stiffly.

"Sir?"

"In training, you are expected to give one-hundred-and-twenty percent and nothing less," he barks, "If you do well, you are promoted. If you do not do well, you are punished! Punishments include loss of privileges, solitary confinement, banishment, and death. Do well. I expect much from you."

I nod, grateful for his faith in me. I wish I was as confident in myself as he is.

o0o0o0o

The training is hell. Pure and utter hell. I am treated like trash by my superiors, and even my squadmates. Basically, this means nobody but Gale treats me with even an ounce of respect. The exercises we are forced to do push me to my limits. Each time, my muscles scream in agony as they tear and become sore. What's worse, Gale is assigned to a different squad. Deliberately, I suspect, by Coin in order to take away any attachments I might have.

It's weeks before I'm deemed fit to train in armed combat. They have destroyed my body and rebuilt it, stronger than ever. Muscles now defined beyond what I could imagine. I still have my slight, swimmers build, but I feel heavier and yet lighter at the same time. I carry myself with more confidence and am in much more control of my body. I no longer walk with my slouch, but now move like I do in the woods: catlike, slinking around like a dangerous predator. My squad still treats me with dislike at worst and indifference at best. I've grown not to care. I still have Gale. At least, when we're assigned the same lunch time. I hate the punctuality of District 13. Each morning you wake up at the same time. You're supposed to stick your right arm in this contraption in the wall. It tattoos the inside of your forearm with your schedule for the day. The nasty purple ink doesn't wash away until _22:00-Bathing._

Today I see that _7:00-Breakfast _is directly followed by something I've never attended: _7:30-Arms Assessment._ I smile to myself. If this is what I think it is, I should have no problem at all. After finishing up my oats and eggs in the cafeteria, I follow my squad down a hallway I've never been permitted before. We pass the armory where my precious bow and arrows are kept. They took those because only military personnel can keep weapons. The next door down, we stop.

I'm struck speechless at the sheer awesomeness of the room. Its immensity makes me feel like an ant, and weapons cover every wall except for one. The farthest one. On that, there are life-sized dummies of various shapes and species. There's an entire section devoted to humans. I don't find myself surprised. Boggs turns to me, catching me off guard, and barks out in a clipped tone. "Private Everdeen, this is your first weapons training! Do you have any declared specialties?"

Stammering slightly, I reply after a moments hesitation. "I'm good with a bow, sir."

He strides over to a nearby wall and hefts a huge contraption that barely resembles a bow. He hands it to me and I nearly drop it, surprised at the weight. "This, private, is a compound bow. I want you to shoot that dummy." He points at the farthest one. "And I want you to shoot it from here." I feel intimidated. It's one thing to shoot an animal from thirty yards. It's quite another to shoot at a human from across a room over five times that length. I squint at my target. This particular dummy is the smallest of all of the collected dolls and I realize what he wants me to do. He wants me to shoot a child.

I take a breath in, trying to convince myself that he's just trying to test my accuracy, not that he's training me to kill innocent children. He's a good man and I know he wouldn't do that. But he's also a man who follows orders and I trust Coin about as far as I can throw her. Then, I reach out my hand expectantly. Boggs smirks as if he knows what I have been thinking and tosses me a quiver brimming with arrows. I nock one and am surprised at the ease of the draw. This bow's pull is miniscule compared to my longbow in the armory. This feels like a hunting shortbow, good for short distance fire and remarkably accurate. However, I know that by the length of the bow, it's a longbow and will shoot like one. That is to say, fast, strong and deadly.

I release the string but am surprised by the difference. My shot goes wide and I flush. This is not what I want. Focusing more intently, I take aim again. This time, my arrow flies true and I am already loving my new bow. Its craftsmanship is obviously manufactured but it is still a work of art. Its pull is greatly reduced and its accuracy and power are augmented. This is a bow for warring. I follow the arrow with several others in quick succession. Each flies into the dummy's eye, my favorite target. Each consecutive arrow splits the previous. When I am done, it almost seems like there is a black flower growing out of its eye.

I turn triumphantly and toss my now empty quiver at Boggs. He says nothing, just nods mutely at my squadmates. I face them defensively. They also say nothing, just stare incredulously at my target 200 yards away. I smile hesitantly at them and they finally tear their eyes away from the dummy. In their faces, I can see their newfound respect. I can't believe that the respect of people that I don't know could feel so satisfying.

o0o0o

I soon find that I'm mediocre in most other aspects of weaponry. Knives, I'm decent at seeing as I've had to use them alongside my bow. Guns, though, are an entirely different story. The moment Boggs hands me a rifle, I nearly blow his head off. He takes it away rather hastily. With good reason, I'm sure. He then turns on the safety and hands it to me again, stepping back and nearly tripping over himself in his haste to get away. I find that vaguely insulting. I'm not _that_ bad… am I? I turn of the safety and shift into the firing stance that I've been taught. With newfound determination, I aim to the best of my abilities and squeeze the trigger. The sudden kick and loud bang startle me and I yank the gun upwards with a girlish shriek, missing my target completely. I hear muffled laughter and realize that this must happen nearly every time. Good. I haven't lost their respect. With a loud crash, the overhead light that I hit shatters on the ground, breaking into a million shards of glass and metal.

o0o0o0o

Only after I've fired again and again, achieving the same results does my squad finally realize that I'll never amount to anything with a gun. I'm no marksman, only a very skilled archer. I am surprised once again when this does not diminish the newfound respect that these men and women have for me. I'm different but no worse. I'm no longer their underling, but a peer. I'm one of them. This does not reach me in words, but in subtle ways. A friendly wink or nudge, a single nod, a pat on the back. Once, a full blown smile from one of the friendlier girls. I don't know her name, but I know that she has a twin and her gold-speckled brown eyes sparkle with life. She then follows up her smile by handing me her bread roll from lunch as we pass through the door. Her kindness reaches me in more ways than words ever could. I find myself hungry from the extreme training today and take a bite out of the smashed roll.

o0o0o0o

Normally, it's at least a year before a soldier is promoted. I never expected this, much less to become a leader, but here it is. Tonight. In a few moments, I am to walk up these steps and receive my patch. I never thought I could be promoted since I'm from the Districts and yet here I am. Promoted eight months early and to squad leader at that. I don't know why Coin would do this for me, but I have an idea and I don't think it will end well. They call my name and I ascend the steps, my heart thudding painfully in my chest, threatening to burst if I so much as smile. I stand before the President. She is so close that I can see every wrinkle and worry line that mars her once-beautiful face. I feel a rush of pity when I realize how much the Capitol has destroyed her. "Private Everdeen, do you accept your responsibility as a leader of a squad?"

My voice rings tremulously through the silent room. "Yes."

Coin pins my emblem, three golden chevron stripes outlined with dull bronze,, and looks into my face with pride. I smile cautiously back at her. She then hands my a document that states my position and tells me, "Your new squad will be called Mockingjay Squad. Its designation is Squad 075."

With a rush of realization, I know what's going on. She wants me to lead the rebellion.

o0o0o0o

I lay in my bed, contemplating my future. What exactly does Coin want me to do? Why does she want me to do it? I know that she's planning something for the third quarter quell which will happen in a little over seven months. My squad designation is just as symbolic as it is utilitarian. My squad name is also symbolic. I'm the Mockingjay. Everybody in Panem knows me. Some hate me, but most love me.

_Flashback_

_It's my third covert mission. I've trained for two months and have been deemed trustworthy in the field. My peers look up to me and would trust me with their lives. Even Boggs has been known to smile proudly at me. Normally, my missions are basic reconnaissance, hunting, and border patrol. This one is different. We are to liberate Finnick Odair from District 4. Apparently, he has leaked a secret from an important lover and will soon be taken. Maybe he will become an Avox. Maybe he will be executed. Maybe, I shudder at the thought, he will be imprisoned and used as a sex toy. I know how the Capitol treats him. They shower him with adoration and yet allow his female fans to rent him for a night. At least that way he has his freedom. I do not fully understand why Coin wants to retrieve him, but I imagine that he would be very useful in the rebellion. Our stealthcraft hovers silently over Odair's spacious home in the Victor's Village. It's pitch black and the moon is nearly nonexistent. Every detail in the extraction procedure is meticulously planned out, including the time: 0:30 on the new moon. We donn our night vision goggles and hook onto our lines. We rappel down directly to his bedroom window and release the lines. Concealed in the deepest shadows, our navy blue tactical uniforms make us invisible to the unsuspecting eye. Leeg 1 scans the room for bugs or surveillance and finds none. Then, Lieutenant Boggs slides open the window, slowly, cautiously, making certain to be unnoticed. We slip soundlessly into the room and the plan is going perfectly fine until we hear the raucous cries of a mockingbird. Boggs curses at his carelessness. Mockingjays are often used as security alarms because of their keen sense of hearing. Any unusual sound, no matter how silent, is detected. These particular mockingjays are trained to go off at these sounds. They are the perfect alarm to the amateur infiltrator. In fact, they are the perfect alarm to anyone who doesn't have a CO2 detector. Mockingjays are not technology, and therefore are not detected by a bugsweeper. Even with a CO2 detector, an intruder can never be sure if there's a mockingjay because a smart warden will hide the bird where there appears to be only one CO2 source. In other words, concealed near the target. Leeg 2 rouses Odair quickly, shaking his shoulder roughly. As expected, he leaps to his feet, grabbing for the trident at the foot of his bed. We all put our hands in the air, showing our intent to help. As he slowly lowers his trident, Boggs whispers harshly, "Finnick Odair, the Capitol is coming to kill you. Come with us."_

_Odair looks suspiciously at him and growls, "And who exactly is 'us'?"_

_I step forward urgently. "We're District 13. The end of the Capitol." His eyes light on me and widen in recognition._

"_Katniss Everdeen. The love of The Boy on Fire."_

_My face scrunches up in confusion, and by the expressions on the faces of my squadmates, they are equally mystified. "What?" I ask._

_He smirks, looking confident once more, looking like his old, handsome self. "You didn't know? Peeta Mellark, The Boy on Fire, loved you. He hoped to see you when he returned from the Games, to comfort you. To apologize for your loss. He never knew that you had disappeared the day he was taken. It was on the news for weeks, Peeta's devastation was."_

_My heart sinks as I see the truth in his eyes. I always knew Peeta was good and kind. But I thought he treated me like he did only because of that. Not that he loved me. I don't feel the same about Peeta. He's a good boy but I prefer the company of Gale. And I don't want to love any more people. The more people you love, the more the Capitol can take. I will never marry. I cough to cover my discomfort and resume my icy fa__çade. "It doesn't matter now. All the that matters is that we get you to safety."_

_I can see by his expression that he believes me about as much as he would Snow. "Yeah? And why would you go rescuing me? I mean, if you're telling the truth and District 13 really exists, why try to help now?" His face is hard and skeptical._

"_I know how you're feeling, Finnick Odair. I went through that too. The important thing right now is getting you out. When you're safe, we'll tell you." Boggs's deep rumble has a hint of urgency in it._

_Finally, Odair relents. "Alright, I'll come with you." His eyes widen as he hears a muted ticking coming from the door. "DOWN!" he bellows, tackling me to the ground before I can react. Moments later, the door explodes inwards with a column of fire and a loud explosion. A squad of Peacekeepers all in white, tactical gear storm the room with their guns held at the ready._

_One of the Peacekeepers, obviously the leader, barks, "By order of the Capitol, Finnick Odair, you and your accomplices are to surrender. Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air. Resist and you will be killed." _

_Finnick sneers at them and says, "When I've caught a hint of true freedom? I don't think so!"_

_A small, round object rolls across the room and rests at the feet of the Peacekeepers. They only have a moment to look at their doom and blink before it explodes, ending their lives. We make for the window, knowing we have few precious moments to get away before the Capitol is alerted and the metaphorical shit hits the fan._

"_Freeze!" A terrified voice comes from the doorway. I see a lone Peacekeeper, his armor torn and charred. The visor on his helmet has been shorn away, revealing his youthful face. He's a teen, barely of age. His pimply face shows only fear. He holds his handgun in a shaking hand to the head of a gagged young woman with disheveled red hair. Her eyes are wide with terror and she seems to be silently begging for help. "Surrender and she lives!"_

_Odair nearly bursts a vein. "Annie!" he shouts. He runs at the man with no regard for his own safety, but Boggs and Leeg 1 catch his arms in an iron grip. "Let me go!" he screams hysterically, kicking and thrashing. "Annie! ANNIE!" _

_Boggs tries to calm him down. "Finnick Odair, you're our priority. I promise we'll get her to safety but you need to come with us first." His reasonable tone calms Odair down considerably._

_I step forward. "Lieutenant, I'll stay and surrender to ensure the safety of the hostage." He nods in my direction once, then disappears into the shadows, my team following. Both he and I know I have no intention on following through on this. Finnick also begins to walk away reluctantly. He throws one desperate glance over his shoulder. His gaze goes not to Annie, but to me. 'Thank you,' he mouths silently._

_I turn to the Peacekeeper. "I've complied, Peacekeeper, and if you want me alive, you'll release the girl." I hold my handgun to my head to further press the point. I slowly set down my gun and slide it over to the young man. He agrees and pushes Annie roughly away. I snort. Amateur. I know he's in no condition to shoot me or even react. He's never taken a life before. I can see it in his eyes. Abruptly, I spring into motion, rolling away from him and pulling my bow off of my back. By the time I've completed my roll, I'm on my feet with an arrow loaded and ready to fire. I release, knowing that there's nothing he can do and nothing I can do. The arrow enters his right eye at an angle and exits through the back of his head. At this range, there was no missing. The gun slips through the boy's nerveless fingers and lands on the floor with a loud clatter. It's several more seconds before he realizes that he's dead and it's several more seconds before he finally falls. I feel a pang of regret, but I suppress it. I've killed before. He was doing his job, and I was doing mine._

_I walk to his body slowly and shoot him once more in the head for good measure. Now he's extra dead. That's the first thing I was taught when it came to killing. Men can do superhuman things when they know they're about to die. I bend slightly, retrieving the blood-soaked arrows and placing them gingerly back in my quiver. Then, I motion to Annie and we climb out the window. My squad's waiting for me in the stealthcraft._

_I rappel back up, and the aircraft begins moving. "Took you long enough!" Leeg 2's eyes sparkle with humor. Her twin laughs._

_I reply wryly, quoting Boggs, "Make sure he's extra dead!" Everybody laughs, partly out of humor, partly out of relief. This mition was harder than expected. _

_Finnick runs at Annie with his arms outstretched, and they embrace. My heart swells with happiness for them but I retain my cold demeanor._

_Nobody pursues us, and we arrive at base without any trouble._

_o0o0o0o_

_It's several hours later when I'm roused from my well-earned sleep. As I come to, blinking and rubbing my eyes groggily, I see Boggs standing by my bed with a grave look on his stony face. "Private Everdeen, President Coin requests your audience." I know that can't be good._

_o0o0o0o_

_I walk into the war room with no small amount of trepidation. Outwardly, I'm cool and collected, distant. Inwardly, I'm a wreck. What happened? What did I do wrong? Coin's already waiting at the head of the table with a neutral expression. Her face betrays no emotion. "You requested my audience, President?" I inquire, trying my best to keep my voice from trembling."_

"_Indeed I did." Coin's voice is quiet. She points a remote at the large vidscreen behind her and an image flickers to life. I see the news. It's showing our raid. But… how? How would that happen? "You see, the Capitol meant to make an example of Finnick Odair. They had a squad of Peacekeepers ready to take him into custody and execute him painfully. Each Peacekeeper was equipped with contact lense cameras. I assure you, this is not your fault. In fact, you are to be commended." President Coin's tone is… approving? I shudder because I know that I have to look under the underneath if I am to understand her angle._

"_Th-thank you, President Coin," I stammar. "But why then am I needed here?"_

_She motions toward the image on the vidscreen. I take a closer look. There I am with my bow drawn, about to end the life of that poor man. "Do you see what I mean?" Coin's voice has a tinge of excitement in it._

"_Sorry, ma'am, I don't." I really don't see what's so important about it._

"_Katniss, there's been riots in Districts 8 and 9!" Coin's statement shocks me but I hide my surprise with the ease of a life of deception. "Don't you see? You are now an icon! Those Peacekeepers meant to make an example of Finnick Odair. They were unaware that you were even getting him out until they blasted that door open! They thought that alarm was Odair trying to escape! That vidfeed was broadcasted live to all of Panem. All of Panem except for District 4 for security reasons."_

_I look at her strangely. "Ma'am, for all they know, I'm a crazy lady in a group of crazy people who got it in their heads to rescue our sworn love from certain death."_

_At this, she throws her head back and a loud, boisterous belly laugh escapes her lips. "Girl, you aren't even aware of what you've done for our cause!" She makes a motion toward the vidscreen and it zooms in on my chest. I see my patches. Above my left breast pocket, there lies the District 13 emblem, and I finally understand. She sees the look of recognition on my face and chortles. "Oh yes, our wonderful little Mockingjay finally understands!"_

_I shoot her an odd look. She must be getting used to those from this day alone. "Mockingjay, ma'am?"_

_She gestures once again at the vidscreen. "Look closer."_

_I do. At first, I see nothing. I see the single chevron stripe on my left black combat sleeve. I see my identification patch on my right breast pocket. 'Everdeen.' I finally understand when I look just above that and see my mockingjay pin. The only thing I have left of Prim. Technically, it's not following dress code regulations, but Boggs lets me get away with it because he understands me. That man's more bark than bite once you get to know him. "So I wear… a mockingjay pin. Congratulations?" I say this sarcastically but I know the significance of this pin and she knows I do too. Mockingjays are a muttation but not the kind you'd expect. They were an accident, an attest to the sheer will of Nature and the defeat of the Capitol. The Capitol made Jabberjays during the Rebellion to spy on the rebels. Their ability to recall and repeat weeks of information and conversation made them an invaluable tool in the war. However, the rebels caught on quickly and began feeding the Capitol false information. Frustrated at the uselessness of the birds, the Capitol released them into the wild knowing that they were all male and therefore could not reproduce. How wrong they were. The male jabberjays mated with female mockingbirds and created a new breed before they all died. Mockingjays. The mockingjays couldn't recreate conversations, but they could mimic songs and sounds. The Capitol was defeated by a small act of Nature._

"_So I show that the Capitol isn't so invincible?" I ask._

_Coin nods. "You are our mockingjay. You're the face of the rebellion. From now on, we're public and our raids will be as well. Everybody on your team will wear contact lense cameras and we'll figure a way to patch the feed into the Capitol cable network to use as propaganda."_

_I scoff disbelievingly. "Are you kidding me? The Capitol's firewalls are too strong! Nobody can get through them!"_

_Coin stares at me icily and I shudder, knowing I've overstepped my bounds. Then, her demeanor is once again pleasant and she titters, "And who else to get through it than the one who made it in the first place?"_

_I groan. I've literally just come back from one retrieval and I have to go back on another?_

_End Flashback_

I can't sleep. I just can't. Just because I was seen with a mockingjay pin does not mean I should have all this responsibility heaped on my shoulders! I roll out of bed and land lightly on my feet. I take a long look in the mirror. My reflection stares back. Her haggard face looks into mine and her shiny new badge gleams even in the dim light. I slip into my combat boots and begin to pull my hair into the familiar braid that I've been wearing since that fateful Reaping. I snatch my bow from its position leaning on my nightstand and march out the door to the place I know best besides the forest.

o0o0o0o

"Here so soon, Catnip?" I look up to see Gale already in the training room, leaning casually on the door.

"Couldn't sleep," I answer wryly. "Care to join me?"

He laughs and strides to his station. I follow, pausing only to unshoulder my bow. We pass the next hour in a comfortable silence, shooting at dummies from different places in the room, kind of like a game of HORSE. A really violent game of HORSE. By the time we're done, I'm dripping in sweat from the exertion but I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I look at the digital clock on the wall and see that it's 6:30. I only have a half hour to freshen up before breakfast. Gale and I leave the training room, each to our own quarters. I take my time in the shower, enjoying the warm water running down my back. When I finally make it to breakfast, practically the whole of District 13 is already there. Great. I can't find a place to sit. Gale is hidden from me, covered up by the crowd. So when I see Coin beckoning me, I walk to her table.

"Hello, Sergeant Everdeen," she greets me jovially, "how's your first day being a Sergeant?"

"Pretty good, surprisingly," I reply.

She rubs her hands together excitedly. "Have you chosen your squad?"

I gape at her in consternation. "I was under the impression that I was to be assigned a squad, President."

"Oh no," she laughs, slapping her knee, "I think you'll make more of an impression on the people of Panem if your team is made up of people you like and trust. There is no teamwork without trust and I know that trust comes to you as easily as freedom will for Panem."

I give her a polite smile. "Thank you!" Although her blunt words irk me, I know they are true.

"So what are you waiting for? Who do you want?"

"If it's alright with you, I think I'll take Gale and Finnick."

She cocks her head. "Anyone else?"

I think for a moment and come to a decision. "Leeg 1 and Leeg 2."

She gives me a confused look. "I'm not aware of those two. Who are they?"

Sparks! I always forget their names. I cast my mind back, trying to recall their names. Pandabear? No. Panda? Chopanda! Cho and Panda! "I mean Cho and Panda. No known last name. Twins. We call them that just to differentiate. Do you know them?"

Her eyes light with recognition. "Oh yes! They have some of the best teamwork out there! I'll gladly add them to your squad."

I give her a thin smile. "Thank you, President. Will that be all?"

"Yes, yes." She gives me a dismissive wave and turns to talk to one of the higher-ups, a rail-thin man with balding hair and a fox-like face.

o0o0o0o

"I'm sure you all know why I was placed over you," I address my squad, "but I just want to say that I'm no leader. I'm just a poor soldier unfortunate enough to have been seen by the cameras." The assembled soldiers laugh and the tension in the room dissipates. "What I mean is that if I'm doing anything you find unsatisfactory, I'm more than willing to listen. I don't want you to feel like I'm your superior because I'm not. President Coin made us a special squad so that's what we're going to be. Anybody can throw out orders; I trust you that much. The only thing I am is a figurehead and a link to HQ. And that's only because it's apparently too risky to give everybody the wavelength to HQ."

Leeg 1 snorts mirthfully. "You must really be regretting having rescued 'ol Nuts and Bolts!"

I grin wryly. "They're great and all but I really wish Beetee'd stop hacking the Capitol's news network and putting all those propos about me and the Rebellion!"

"You could have 'failed' your mission though!" Finnick chortles. "I mean, you rescued them hours after you rescued me! Exhaustion's a legit excuse in my book!"

"Nah, I love 'em too much for that! Besides, they would've gotten rescued sooner or later." I'm beginning to loosen up from the light banter.

"So what's your plan… Sergeant?" Gale grins at me from behind Finnick.

I resist a giggle and say, "Since there's a four week training period before a new squad can go into the field, we'll be training every day except for Sundays. I want to push you to your limits and make us the best, most well-oiled team in all of Panem. I want to make us a force to be reckoned with. A force for good."

"That's great and all. It's what every squad leader says..." a voice pipes up from the crowd and I see Leeg 2 looking shrewdly at me with her head cocked. "...but can you go through with that?"

I answer honestly. "I'm not sure I can on my own. But I trust you guys and I know that with us all working together, nothing's impossible."

* * *

><p>AN: Leeg means empty in Dutch, whereas chopanda means empty in chichewa. I just split the word apart to get their names. Also, this chapter hasn't been proofread but I really wanted to post it since I SURE I disappointed you all with my lack of posting. ;) jk I know that nobody reads my


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